Firefighters face greater than flames on the job—new analysis means that publicity to industrial chemical compounds might alter gene exercise linked to most cancers and different ailments. Credit score: Kris Hanning, U of A Well being Sciences Workplace of Communications
Researchers on the College of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman School of Public Well being discovered that sure sorts of long-lasting chemical compounds firefighters are uncovered to might have an effect on the exercise of genes linked to most cancers and different ailments. The findings seem within the journal Environmental Analysis.
The research is among the many first to attach frequent industrial chemical compounds known as PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—to adjustments in microRNAs, or miRNAs, that are molecules that act as guardrails to assist management gene expression.
PFAS are present in a variety of merchandise, together with upholstery, insulation, electronics, cleansing merchandise, materials, nonstick cookware, and firefighting foam and kit. Firefighters may be at increased danger for sure cancers, and publicity to poisonous chemical compounds could also be one purpose why.
“Firefighters tend to have higher PFAS levels due to their occupational exposures,” stated first writer Melissa Furlong, Ph.D., an assistant professor of environmental well being sciences on the Zuckerman School of Public Well being and a member of each the College of Arizona Most cancers Heart and the Heart for Firefighter Well being Collaborative Analysis.
“Gene activity can be affected by changes in the environment. We wanted to see the imprint of PFAS exposure on miRNAs and evaluate which ones might be associated with diseases.”
The scientists analyzed blood samples from 303 firefighters from six areas throughout the U.S. to measure ranges of 9 PFAS and corresponding miRNA exercise. Adjustments in miRNAs can play roles in a spread of various ailments, together with cancers and neurological problems.
They discovered that blood ranges of sure PFAS on this group of firefighters have been related to adjustments in particular miRNA exercise. The latter have been related to illness pathways for a number of cancers, neurological problems and autoimmune situations.
Furlong was shocked by the quantity and vary of organic pathways that confirmed up for among the PFAS, indicating probably broad impacts on the human physique.
For instance, a standard PFAS known as PFOS, or perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, was related to decrease ranges of miR-128-1-5p, a miRNA tied to most cancers growth. Branched types of PFOS have been linked to adjustments in 5 different miRNAs, together with some identified to play roles in regulating most cancers growth.
Melissa Furlong, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of environmental well being sciences on the Mel and Enid Zuckerman School of Public Well being and a member of the College of Arizona Most cancers Heart and the Heart for Firefighter Well being Collaborative Analysis. Credit score: Kris Hanning, U of A Well being Sciences Workplace of Communications
Extra particularly, Furlong and her group discovered connections amongst PFAS-related miRNA adjustments and organic pathways concerned in leukemia and bladder, liver, thyroid and breast cancers. Additionally they discovered miRNA alterations linked to organic pathways concerned in neurological ailments, together with Alzheimer’s illness, and autoimmune and infectious ailments corresponding to lupus, bronchial asthma and tuberculosis.
Furlong famous that whereas the research did not present direct illness outcomes, the findings pointed to organic adjustments which may precede illness. A greater understanding of the potential organic results of those sorts of exposures may assist in growing new methods to stop or cut back long-term well being dangers.
“Identifying an early miRNA signature could indicate a higher likelihood of certain health outcomes, such as a cancer or another disease,” she stated. “It could be an early indicator of a biological response that could lead to that health outcome.”
Adjustments to DNA that have an effect on gene exercise—however do not alter genes themselves—are often called epigenetic adjustments. Senior writer Jeff Burgess, MD, MPH, has been collaborating with firefighters on well being and security analysis since 1992, with a concentrate on most cancers danger and prevention since 2015.
A few of his earlier analysis with firefighters recognized epigenetic adjustments linked to well being dangers, together with most cancers, and supplied proof that helped assist the worldwide classification of firefighting as carcinogenic.
“Firefighters have requested research on how their exposures lead to increased risk of cancer,” stated Burgess, who based the Heart for Firefighter Well being Collaborative Analysis and is a professor on the Zuckerman School of Public Well being and a U of A Most cancers Heart member.
“Epigenetic markers provide a measure of cancer risk and can also be used to determine the effectiveness of interventions to reduce cancer risk.”
Furlong, Burgess and others are engaged on long-term follow-up research with firefighters to search out methods to assist forestall the event of ailments.
“If epigenetics is the mechanism by which PFAS initially works and then later on results in a range of diseases, then that might mean the miRNA could be a modifiable step,” Furlong stated. “Pharmaceutical companies are already working on treatments that are focused on epigenetic modifications. We have much more work to do.”
The research included individuals from two firefighter most cancers prevention research, in addition to some from the Tucson Hearth Division. Extra co-authors from the Zuckerman School of Public Well being embrace former graduate analysis affiliate Tuo Liu, Ph.D., and Shawn Beitel, analysis program administration officer for the Firefighter Well being Collaborative Analysis Program.
The research can be a part of the bigger Hearth Fighter Most cancers Cohort Examine.
Extra info:
Melissa A. Furlong et al, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and microRNA: An epigenome-wide affiliation research in firefighters, Environmental Analysis (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121766
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